Happy Sunday guys!
And yes today is National Strawberry Parfait Day! So in the spirit of that I made these strawberry parfait bars with organic yogurt.
I used to love picking up yogurt parfaits on the go...that is until I learnt that dairy is commonly poorly farmed where I'm from. And I realized that these little packaged store-bought parfaits were loaded with 2 - 3 times a person's daily dose of added processed sugar. So that was the end of that for me.
But now I've created these bars for a healthy, naturally sweetened, organic yogurt parfait. These bars are made up of a few real ingredients, like whole grains, maple syrup, coconut oil, organic yogurt and strawberries, i.e. lots of nutritious fats, antioxidants and fiber! And they taste like a strawberry parfait!
Okay so as a person who isn’t strictly vegan but loves a good vegan meal once in a while, I am actually pro-dairy, believe it or not. I feel like going non-dairy is becoming a very huge thing recently. However, I think when dairy is honestly farmed and organic, it can be really nutritious and super good for the body.
That being said I am not trying to impose my way of doing things on anyone. That can’t be stressed enough. And I’m not going to talk about cruelty vs. cruelty-free farming, as that is a matter in and of itself, for another post.
Honestly organic dairy is a very important part of my diet. And I feel that one of the main reasons many people today are opting for non-dairy foods, as far as diet is concerned, is that they have experienced adverse reactions to it. But is that because of the lactose in the dairy? Or could it be largely due to the fact that the majority of dairy products in the U.S and Canada are very poorly farmed, non-organic, and the cows are largely fed GMO grain feed, and in very poor health.
The good news is that there are many organic dairy farms turning up all over Canada and the U.S making organic dairy products much easier to find. And some of them may even be local for you. (In my area we have three not even an hour and a half drive from us.)
So if you’re not sure about dairy, and are having a hard time figuring it all out. I would try organic dairy, or even visit a local organic dairy farm. I think you’d be amazed what good honest farming can produce.
Organic farming methods and supplies undoubtedly cost farmers more, and it’s definitely not always easy for them. And therefore we really need to support them, despite the fact that it may cost us a bit more. Because this is what will promote organic farming happening more in our local areas. And this will ultimately probably help to reduce the price for all of us, the consumer, in the long run.
So in light of all this I made these strawberry parfait bars with organic yogurt.
Here’s how I did it:
Ingredients
For the base:
2 cups oats ground (measure before grinding)
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (I used Bulletproof XCT coconut oil, no melting required)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 bananas
2 tbsp almond butter
Walnut oil cooking spray (can also use coconut oil)
For the yogurt:
1 cup organic plain yogurt (3.5%)
1 cup organic strawberries
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp organic strawberry jam
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl combine your oats, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, bananas and almond butter.
Then grease a 9 inch square baking pan with cooking spray (can use walnut oil or coconut oil). Next pour the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
While your base is baking, take a mixing bowl and mash your strawberries. (Doesn’t have to be completely smooth, you can leave some strawberry chunks in there.)
Then combine strawberries with your yogurt, maple syrup and jam.
When the base is done, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Then spread your yogurt mixture evenly onto the base.
Freeze over night. Let thaw for 15 minutes before eating. Store in the freezer.
This recipe yields 9 pieces, with 125 calories per piece.
I hope you guys enjoy this recipe!
All photos and recipe are my own original content.
If you liked this don’t forget to vote, follow and comment!
